How long does it take to replenish plasma after donating

Who can donate?
Generally, plasma donors must be 18 years of age and weigh at least 110 pounds (50kg). All individuals must pass two separate medical examinations, a medical history screening and testing for transmissible viruses, before their donated plasma can be used to manufacture plasma protein therapies.

How do I donate plasma?
There are more than 900 licensed and IQPP-certified plasma collection centers in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Each company manages its operations differently within government regulatory guidelines. Locate a center near you, using our searchable directory. Call the center to find out hours of operation and to ask any other questions you may have.

Does it hurt?
Most people compare the feeling of the needle to a mild bee sting. You will also be required to submit to a finger stick test each time you donate so the collection center medical staff can evaluate your protein and hemoglobin levels.

Is donating plasma safe?
Yes. Plasma donation in IQPP certified collection centers is performed in a highly controlled, sterile environment by professionally trained medical staff. All plasma collection equipment is sterilized and any equipment that comes into contact with you is used only once to eliminate the possibility of transmitting viral infections.

What type of medical screening and testing is done?
You must have a pre-donation physical which includes answering medical history questions, tests for viruses such as HIV and Hepatitis and evaluating your protein and hemoglobin levels.

How do you get my plasma?
Donating plasma is similar to giving blood. A needle is placed into a vein in your arm. Plasma is collected through a process call plasmapheresis and is conducted in cycles that may take up to an hour. Whole blood is drawn. The plasma is separated from the red blood cells and other cellular components. These are returned to your body with sterile saline solution to help the body replace the plasma removed from the whole blood.

How long does it take?
Your first donation will take approximately 2 hours. Return visits on average take about 90 minutes.

What do you do with my plasma?
Nearly 500 different types of proteins have been found in human blood plasma. Approximately 150 of these may be used for diagnosing disease or manufacturing therapies.

How much will I be compensated?
Each company establishes its own compensation scale. Please contact the center nearest you for further information.

The average adult has around 10 pints of blood (roughly 8% of your body weight).  Making a blood donation uses about 1 pint, after which your body has an amazing capacity to replace all the cells and fluids that have been lost.

Red blood cells

Take red cells. Millions of them are being made and dying every second. When you give blood you lose red cells and the body needs to make more to replace them. Special cells in the kidneys, called peritubular cells, sense that the level of oxygen in the blood has decreased (due to the loss of red cells) and start secreting a protein called erythropoietin. This passes through the bloodstream until it reaches the bone marrow (the soft fatty tissue inside the bone cavities).

The bone marrow produces stem cells, the building blocks that the body uses to make the different blood cells – red cells, white cells and platelets. The erythropoietin sends a message to the stem cells telling more of them to develop into red blood cells, rather than white cells or platelets.

How fast does your body make blood?

Your body makes about 2 million new red cells every second, so it only takes a number of weeks to build up stores of them again.

What about your white cells and platelets? A number of other messenger proteins also stimulate the production of these cells in the bone marrow, and over the next few days levels return to normal.

How long between blood donations?

Male donors need to wait a minimum of 12 weeks between whole blood donations and female donors 16 weeks. So why wait? Unlike white cells and platelets, it takes several weeks for all the red cells to be replaced. You can schedule your appointments the right distance apart using our online appointment system.

There's an important link between your red cells and your health because it's these cells, or rather the red-coloured haemoglobin they contain, that take oxygen around your body. Haemoglobin contains iron, and some is lost with each blood donation. To compensate, iron is mobilised from the body's iron stores, and the body also increases the amount of iron it absorbs from food and drink. Men normally have more iron stores than women.

Your haemoglobin levels

Before every blood donation we always test your haemoglobin levels. We make sure that your haemoglobin level is above 125g/l for women and 135g/l for men. This is because any iron deficiency can result in reduced haemoglobin levels, and eventually, if not treated, in iron deficiency anaemia. This deficiency can make you feel tired. 

Your iron levels

The body stores iron in the form of 2 proteins – ferritin (in men it accounts for about 70% of stored iron, in women 80%) and haemosiderin. The proteins are found in the liver, bone marrow, spleen and muscles. If too much iron is taken out of storage and not replaced through dietary sources, iron stores may become depleted and haemoglobin levels fall.

After a donation, most people's haemoglobin levels are back to normal after 6 to 12 weeks. This is why we ask donors to wait for a minimum of 12 weeks between donations (12 weeks for men and 16 weeks for women) to ensure that we don’t risk lowering your haemoglobin levels over the long term.

Drink up

Blood volume makes up approximately 8% of your body weight. About 55% of blood is comprised of plasma, of which 90% is water. So, although you donate less than a pint of blood at a time, almost half of this is water. That's why it is important for you to drink plenty of water before you donate and immediately after you've donated. It's important to replace fluids after you've donated, to help bring your blood volume levels back to normal. The kidneys also play their part in controlling blood volume by regulating the amount of sodium and water lost in urine.

Why not register to become a blood donor today?

How can I replenish my plasma quickly?

Foods high in protein, iron, and electrolytes will help your body recover after a plasma donation. Your body also needs plenty of water to avoid dehydration and replenish the lost plasma.

How long does it take to rehydrate after donating plasma?

Continue to drink lots of water 24-48 hours after donating plasma to rehydrate and prevent your blood pressure from getting too low. At Canadian Plasma Resources, we care about the health of our donors and understand the importance of rest and replenishment after donating.

What happens if you donate plasma 3 times a week?

But blood plasma donations are different since only plasma is taken out. Blood plasma only takes 24 to 48 hours to regenerate, which means you can theoretically donate blood plasma as often as three times a week, with a waiting period of at least 24 hours between each donation.

How tired will I be after donating plasma?

You may feel a little thirsty or fatigued, but you can avoid that by drinking plenty of non-caffeinated fluids and getting lots of sleep beforehand. It is also important that you rehydrate and avoid strenuous activity after you have donated plasma.

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